Mind-body connection: The psychology of healing

What does being healed mean to you? How much does the mind truly affect your ability to recover after an illness, undergoing surgery or suffering a loss? The mind-body connection has been studied and documented for many years. Research shows that a correlation between the desire to heal and actual healing exists — and can be enhanced if the mind is engaged in a positive way toward that goal. Here’s more on how you can use your mind to heal your body.

Laughter is the best medicine

We’ve all heard the old adage that laughter is the best medicine — and it turns this often-heard piece of advice has scientific evidence to back it up. At the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, laughter therapy is just one component of the integrated cancer care found at CTCA hospitals.

Health benefits of laughter therapy

“There are both psychological and physical benefits to laughter therapy,” says Katherine Puckett, PhD, national director of mind body medicine at Cancer Treatment Centers of America. “Laughing together helps people feel more connected and supported, and it offers a distraction from difficult situations. I’ve heard patients say at the end of Laughter Club, ‘I didn’t even think about cancer for the last hour!’ ”

Humor can increase feel-good hormones and immunity

“Physically, laughter (i.e., experiencing and expressing mirth) can increase endorphins, the ‘feel-good’ hormones that can improve mood and decrease physical pain,” Dr. Puckett explains. “This is of particular interest to cancer patients for whom pain is often a significant issue. There is also preliminary evidence that experiencing mirth and laughter can offer a boost to the immune system.”

Meditation: good for what ails you

The mind-body connection also factors heavily into the work of Dr. Dean Ornish, founder and president of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute and clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. He and his wife Anne, who is vice president of the institute, have experienced excellent results using meditation therapies with their patients.

Love for longevity

According to Dr. Ornish, lack of love and intimacy are at the root of what makes us sick, and are likewise what makes us well. “Connections with other people affect not only the quality of our lives,” he adds, “but also the quantity of our lives – that is, our longevity and our survival.”

Health is a state of mind

Our bodies take cues from our minds, and can subsequently affect our physical condition accordingly. Even for those who might not put much stock in the metaphysical, the mind-body connection is constantly in play, like it or not.